Chain & Sprocket Chainging on a CBR600

[Slingshot]

Not sure how hard this would be to do but the local bike shop said they would lend me a tool to do it.

Anyone have any experience, need to know if I should consider doing this or just paying for it to be done.

[kerryg]

Not sure how hard this would be to do but the local bike shop said they would lend me a tool to do it.

Anyone have any experience, need to know if I should consider doing this or just paying for it to be done.


Sounds like you haven't done this before. Not sure about the CBR600 particularly but suppose there's nothing special or unusual about doing it on your bike versus any other. It's a simple enough job, but if you're buying your chain and sprockets from a bike shop they might fit it for cheap. Maybe get them to quote you and then decide. If it's half an hour's labour or something I honestly wouldn't shag about with it myself. Fitting new chains, especially if they've got the rivet type link, can be a mission. You said they'd lend you a tool (I guess the press to fit the sideplate) so that'll make it easier but then you've still got to flare the rivets somehow with a punch or something, and you may have to shorten your chain by a link or two depending on whether they supply the exact number of links you need (so you'll need a grinder to grind off the rivet heads) and if you get it wrong you may (in the worst case) have your chain enter your crankcases at high speed.....

Just my 2 cents...

[vifferman]

It's not hard with the tools, which break the link on the old chain AND flare the rivet clip on the new one. The tricky bit is that if you dont flare the rivet on the clip link there is a slight chance it could come off, and if you overdo it that link will bind.
Most shops that sell chain/sprocket sets fit them for free or should do if there any good.

[Slingshot]

The shop has quoted labour at between $70 & $100. Might be time to ring around.

I guess the other option is to replace the sprockets myself, put the old chain back on and then get the shop to fit the new chain.

I don't really want to wreck a brand new $180 o-ring chain.

[kerryg]

The shop has quoted labour at between $70 & $100. Might be time to ring around.

I guess the other option is to replace the sprockets myself, put the old chain back on and then get the shop to fit the new chain.

I don't really want to wreck a brand new $180 o-ring chain.


That sounds dear to me. Are they the same shop who supplied the chain and sprockets? I think you can expect the shop that supplied the stuff to cut you a deal on fitment normally

[vifferman]

The shop has quoted labour at between $70 & $100. Might be time to ring around.It does sound a little high, but then there's probably an hour to an hour-and-a-half labour to do chain and sprockets.
My last chain/sprocket/fit/adjust cost around $300 all up, so if your chain is ~$180, that's about right.
Are the sprockets and chain all due for replacement?


I guess the other option is to replace the sprockets myself, put the old chain back on and then get the shop to fit the new chain.

I don't really want to wreck a brand new $180 o-ring chain.It's not that hard, if you have the chain breaker / pin doofering (technical term) tools. You can just use a punch or something to peen the ends of the rivet, if you put a block behind the chain, but it's a bit more tricky.
The bottom line is, if you do it yourself and do stuff up the rivet link, you can always buy another link and get someone to fit it, so you're not likely to completely mess up the whole chain.

[TwoSeven]

Usually a good bike shop should put in on for you no charge. The honda flat rate time is 25 mins - but you'd have to be new to the bike to take that long.

Basically the 'chain tool' costs about $150 for a good unit that will both split the chain, press the links and bur the riviot.

[Slingshot]

Thanks guys, I'm still undecided. I'll ponder it over the weekend and will probably just end up paying the shop to do it.

[vifferman]

Bit slack that no-one said, "Sher! I got one o' them there rivetty thingo doodads. I'll lend it to yer / come over to yer place and do it!"

I would. Iffen I had one o' them there rivetty thingo doodads.

Or should that be: OneOThemThereRivettyThingoDoodads™ (technical term).

[Blakamin]

I wouldve only I dont have "OneOThemThereRivettyThingoDoodads™"

[Will]

Have you had your chain replaced yet?

I am interested only because I ride a CBR 600 and I had "lost " a chain while on a ride. I honestly can say that it is safer to leave it to the professionals to do.

I was lucky when the chain left my bike. I was on The Notorious Auckland Motorway. I suddenly lost power, wound the throttle up but no power to the back wheel, thought "SHIT" tried the gears, still free, thought might be my chain, rolled to a stop and once I got off my bike confrmed that it was indeed my chain that had gone.

I WAS LUCKY.

My chain broke the lleft hand indicator bracket, cracked the chain guard and cracked the front sproket cover. That was all!

Found out later what it could have done. It could have seized my bike in the middle of the Auckland Motorway System - you know , where there are caged drivers who do not think! Just imagine the horror of it all!!! No more Me!!!

So I am thankful and take my bike to a reputable bike shop for any repairs.

Here endth the lesson.

[gav]

Usually a good bike shop should put in on for you no charge. The honda flat rate time is 25 mins - but you'd have to be new to the bike to take that long.

25 minutes to replace both sprockets and fit a chain? Youre bloody welcome to do mine next time. Theres probably a reasonable amount of time to do chain and sprockets on a CBR, hour to hour and a half wouldnt be too far out.

[TwoSeven]

You shouldnt be charged for fitting a chain and sprockets - or the charge should be minimal. For a competent mechanic its a 15 min job at best. All thats involved pushing a link out with a chain splitter, undoing several nuts and doing them up again and pressing and burring a new rivit with the chain tool again.

About the hardest part on any bike can be getting at the front sprocket, some bikes require fairing removal and there is a sprocket cover that also needs to be removed.

[Velox]

You shouldnt be charged for fitting a chain and sprockets - or the charge should be minimal. For a competent mechanic its a 15 min job at best. All thats involved pushing a link out with a chain splitter, undoing several nuts and doing them up again and pressing and burring a new rivit with the chain tool again.

About the hardest part on any bike can be getting at the front sprocket, some bikes require fairing removal and there is a sprocket cover that also needs to be removed.
....and pulling off the back wheel, replacing the back sprocket, and then altering the chain when the back wheel's back on.

[gav]

Hmm, lets see, remove side panel, to access fairing panel bolts, remove side inspection panel to uncover further bolts, undo about 1/2 dozen other screws, to lower fairing side, do I need to do same on other side to drop belly pan altogether? Right now I can see sprocket cover..... Mate the bloody 97 CBR has to have about the most mickey mouse fairing panelling you can imagine, everything slots into something else, you have to take off this to get to that, blah, blah, blah. Bloody Honda just being too damn clever again...... :no:

[TwoSeven]

nah mate - once you have the nack for doing it, its pretty simple - would have to be a bad mechanic or someone that hadnt seen that bike before to take a long time on it.

Its not so much as what has to be done but the order you do it in and knowing what tools to use - once you know that you can be pretty fast. I'd expect someone to be able to swap a rear wheel on a cibby in under 2 mins - 1 min if they practice hard - my fastest time was 52 seconds on the F2. In fact if you plan it properly to change the rear sprocket you dont have to take the rear wheel off, just have to pull the axel part way thru and wiggle the spacer out - although I find it easier to drop the wheel out.

Then its really easy to zap all of the bits with the rattle gun. I havnt timed myself to do a complete chain and sprockets, but the one I recently put on done in under 10 mins, so i'd double that to take the old one off.

Someone that does tires and chains/sprockets for a living shouldnt be charging more than half an hour FRT.

[Slim]

Hmm, lets see, remove side panel, to access fairing panel bolts, remove side inspection panel to uncover further bolts, undo about 1/2 dozen other screws, to lower fairing side, do I need to do same on other side to drop belly pan altogether? Right now I can see sprocket cover..... Mate the bloody 97 CBR has to have about the most mickey mouse fairing panelling you can imagine, everything slots into something else, you have to take off this to get to that, blah, blah, blah. Bloody Honda just being too damn clever again...... :no:
I miss a key release seat! :cry:

There's a wee phillips screw underneath, at the front, that joins the 2 lower side fairings, then undo the allan screw that joins the triangular piece behind the front wheel to the side panel you're removing, plus the half-twist screw at the bottom of the triangular bit & you can take off just one side fairing.

HTH. :)

How long did it take you to twig to the fact that one of the allan screws on each side fairing is longer than the rest??? :sly:

[gav]

Well, to be fair, when I first got my bike, most of what was left of the fairing was in a cardboard box! Hardest bit was buying s/h fairing panels then finding I had to get extra bits, like the inner panel that the indicators bolt onto. Still missing some, like the headlight inspection panel at the bottom of the upper fairing (if you can follow that).
Hey 27, point taken, fastest I changed a rear tyre on a CBR was quicker than we could fill the tank! But there were 3 other guys, a racetrack, some TV cameras, something called the "Castrol 6 Hour".....

[TwoSeven]

he he ..

I always practice everything til I can do it with my eyes closed. Then I look up the honda FRT time and find I still have a way to go - but I can beat the times on most things for the 600 - except probably dismantling and reassembling the engine.

[Velox]

Basically the 'chain tool' costs about $150 for a good unit that will both split the chain, press the links and bur the riviot.
I'm guessing the tool is specific to the size of the chain (and therefore rivet)eh? Does that mean you can only use certain tools on certain bikes?

[TwoSeven]

They normally do a range of sizes for the tools. I think the one I have does 430-530 (I use it to do mainly 520 and 530 chains).

[Velox]

They normally do a range of sizes for the tools. I think the one I have does 430-530 (I use it to do mainly 520 and 530 chains).
Cheers TwoS. Do you reckon you could get one that would do a 520 and whatever a 600cc is likely to use or is that a bit too much variation in size?

[TwoSeven]

yep - just google for chain tool.